Yeast sitting at UPS over the weekend

UPS tried to drop off a shipment Friday but alas I was still working. So that means it has been sitting in the warehouse. Weather hasn't been too bad this weekend, upper 80's. Plus most packages that I've had to pick up from there, they were kept in the customer service part of the warehouse that was air conditioned. The yeast is for an Oatmeal Stout extract I plan on brewing next weekend. I'm fixing to place another order with AHS today, should I just go ahead and re-order the yeast just in case the other is dead? How can I tell it's dead without pitching it and waiting? I've heard of making starters but I haven't read up on it.

Thanks.

A starter is simply a mini-beer. You create wort from DME or LME and pitch your yeast. This lets you know that your yeast is viable and it increases your cell count for a better pitch.

If your yeast is in an air conditioned room you'll probably be all right. Definitely make a starter to be sure but always keep a pack of dry yeast as a backup.

Read up on it. Starters are a good way of checking the viability of your liquid yeast and has the benefit of allowing more yeast to be pitched. The vials or smackpacks while do have enough yeast to ferment a 5G batch work much quicker if a starter is made. This in turn reduces chances of contamination and helps make a cleaner, better tasting beer. Starters are nothing more than a mini-extract batch that are finished usually in 24 hours. They are easy to make and give you piece of mind. check the wikki or search for starter, you will be surprised at the outcome.

Man, I type way to slow

Ok, I'll have to read up on the starter.

The kit included White Labs British Ale WLP005, so which dry yeast would I need to get?

AHS Yeast Link

Welcome to my world. It was mid string of 90+ degree days when I pulled that stunt.
Lesson #1 Don't order Liquid Yeast in the summer
Lesson # 2 when you do it anyway, order saturday night that way your order goes out Monday AM and you'll have it by the weekend.
Lesson #3 when you forget lesson #1 AND #2, call and ask if they will put an extra ice pack in it for you.

chefchris said:

Ok, I'll have to read up on the starter.

The kit included White Labs British Ale WLP005, so which dry yeast would I need to get?

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I'd suggest Safale S-04.

Safale S-04

I ordered on the weekend and they still didn't ship till Wed. ...just in time to not be delivered by Fri Is that the Sam Smith Oatmeal? I ordered the same thing.

Dead is unlikely. Stunned is likely.

Starters are easy if you head to your megamart and look in the Hispanic foods aisle for Malto Goya. It's essentially 1.060 hopped wort. Dilute it 2 parts Malto Goya to 1 part distilled water and you have instant start wort. Pitch into that, wait a few days and you will have happy (and drunk) yeast.

Cool idea Sacc. you must have been part of the GAP experiment.

Really? Malto? It's that easy. I actually like that stuff. ..and it makes a very tasty braising liquid for ribs MMMMMM!

beerthirty said:

Cool idea Sacc. you must have been part of the GAP experiment.

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Thought about it. I'm half way through reading Radical Brewing, after this I'm thinking about Wassail..